Testosterone Replacement in Older Men and Atherosclerosis Progression
Status:
Completed
Trial end date:
2012-05-12
Target enrollment:
Participant gender:
Summary
As men grow older, their testosterone levels decrease with age. One-third of men, 70 years of
age or older, have low testosterone levels. It is known that short-term testosterone
replacement is safe, and can increase muscle strength and physical function, but the risks of
long-term testosterone replacement in older men with low testosterone levels are incompletely
understood.
Atherosclerosis is characterized by thickening of the artery walls, and the narrowing of the
blood vessels as cholesterol is deposited in the lining of the arteries. It is the major
cause of cardiovascular disease including ischemic heart disease (heart attacks) and stroke.
Although, historically, there has been a widespread perception that higher levels of
testosterone might increase the risk of atherosclerosis, the evidence from research does not
support this. In observational studies, higher testosterone levels have been correlated with
more favorable cardiovascular risk factors, and supplementation with testosterone to bring
older men into the normal range for healthy younger men appears to improve several
cardiovascular risk factors, and may slow the progression of atherosclerosis.
The primary purpose of this study is to look at the effects of testosterone replacement on
the progression of atherosclerosis in older men. This study is also being done to find out
whether replacement with testosterone in older men with low testosterone levels improves
their health-related quality of life.